Trump Set to Make Major Policy Change Regarding Israel – Report

President Donald Trump may formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city as soon as next week, according to Channel 2 News in Israel.

This anticipated move comes as the Trump administration has made it clear that it plans to relocate the American embassy — currently in Tel Aviv — to Jerusalem, a move that previous U.S. presidents have continually punted on.

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The news also follows Vice President Mike Pence’s speech on Tuesday where he reiterated the administration’s intentions to move the embassy.

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While for the past 20 years, Congress and successive administrations have expressed a willingness to move our embassy, @POTUS Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. #70toIsraelUNpic.twitter.com/hYkQ88vwm8

“While for the past 20 years, Congress and successive administrations have expressed a willingness to move our embassy, as we speak, President Donald Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Pence declared.

The vice president made the comments as he delivered a keynote address at the Queens Museum commemorating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations’ vote calling for Israel to exist as an independent state, according to CBS News.

Tel Aviv is Israel’s commercial capital and has been the location of the U.S. embassy for years. However, Israelis consider Jerusalem the real capital city of their country — a major component of conflict between Israel and Palestine.

In an exchange with The Western Journal, Jerusalem-based media relationship strategist David Ha’ivri reiterated his pleasure with Trump’s plan. Ha’ivri wants to see the embassy moved to his city and welcomes formal recognition by Israel’s strongest ally.

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“Moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, is the right thing to do and a blessing to your nation,” Ha’ivri wrote to his followers on social media.

Congress passed a law in 1995 calling for the U.S. embassy to move to Jerusalem, but every president in office, both Republican and Democrat, has used a clause in the law to postpone the transfer.

A measure within the law allows the sitting president to sign a six-month delay. Kicking the can down the road, every president since Bill Clinton has continually signed this waiver.

Trump — who campaigned heavily on finally moving the embassy — disappointed many Israel hawks when he chose to re-sign the waiver in June.

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Nevertheless, as Trump signed the waiver, a spokesman for the White House said moving the embassy was a matter of “when, not if.”

Things do, in fact, appear to be changing. Pence is expected to visit Israel in December, around the same time the six-month waiver is due to expire.

The White House may choose to both recognize the city as the capital and move the embassy as a gesture honoring Israel’s 70th independence celebration.

The date marks the passing of Resolution 181 by the United Nations in 1947 — the vote that made way for Israel’s creation by calling for the partition of Mandatory Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.

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As a means to not further inflame the Palestinian conflict, the president may simply recognize West Jerusalem — the section clearly controlled by Israelis — leaving East Jerusalem up for later debate.

The president’s relationship with the state of Israel has already been a stark contrast from the previous administration.

In May, Trump became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a Jewish holy site.

Trump has also been a vehement critic of the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lobied heavily against the deal and Trump has threatened to end it.